Of Dogs and Cats
by kiuna'yukina
Summary: “You know, Mikan, Ruka was wrong. Cats can get along with dogs.” NatsumeMikan, RukaHotaru


**Of Dogs and Cats**

**Not to mention, Blackmail and Great Yellow Chicks..**

**Summary:**

"**You know, Mikan, Ruka was wrong. Cats _can_ get along with dogs."**

**-----------------------------------------------------**

**Disclaimer:**_ I own many things, but I can only wish I owned Gakuen Alice._

**-----------------------------------------------------**

It was Monday yet again at the Alice Academy. Students groan at the start of another agonizing school week. Yet the morning air is disrupted by the cheerful greeting of an enthusiastic student.

"Hotaaaruuuu!"

The student mentioned, goes by the name of Mikan Sakura. Mikan, a 16 year old one-star alice student, daily screams and _tries_ to hug her best friend, Hotaru Imai.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch… Waaahhh… Hotaru, you're so mean!"

But yet again, Hotaru answers with a few shots from her Baka gun.

"Mikan, are you all right?"

And as usual, Yuu Tobita, a class representative, and another best friend of Mikan's, helps her up from the floor.

"Good Morning Yuu!"

Mikan grins and cheerfully replies as if nothing has happened. Yes, it is just another normal day. Nothing much has changed since Mikan arrived 6 years ago.

The door swings open, and two boys step in.

"Good Morning Ruka! Good Morning Natsume!"

Yet another part of Mikan's routine.

"Good Morning Mikan!" Ruka answers with a grin. He then turns toward Hotaru and shyly smiles as his morning greeting.

"Hi."

"Hi to you too.."

Hotaru, meanwhile, smiles shyly in return, a light shade of scarlet coloring her cheeks.

Oh yes, during the course of the last few years, something _did_ change. Just last year, on Hotaru's birthday, no less, Ruka finally confessed to Hotaru, and they ended up as one of the most admired couples at the alice academy.

"You're too loud, strawberry-print girl."

Ahh yes, Natsume Hyuuga, the notorious black cat. Definitely nothing has changed about _him._

Mikan just puts her tongue out at him, and sits down beside Hotaru, only to be pushed away _again._

Natsume just ignores her and goes to the back of the classroom, sits down, puts his feet on top of the table, and reads his latest shounen manga. Ruka meanwhile, gives an exasperated sigh and sits down beside him. He and Hotaru exchange knowing glances, smiles, and begin to put their plan into action.

"Hey Natsume…" Ruka innocently looks at Natsume.

"Yeah?" Natsume looked up from his manga and glances lazily at his best friend.

_And so Phase 1 begins…_

**---------------------------------------**

**Meanwhile..**

"Mikan."

"Hmm?" Mikan turns her attention to her best friend and smiles.

"If you were an animal, what kind would you be?"

"Huh? Me?" Mikan stupidly points at herself, dumbfounded.

"Yes, idiot, you." Hotaru unemotionally replies.

"Ohhhh… I don't know…" Mikan then leans her arm on the desk and stares out the window.

And at that moment, the bell rings, and Mr. Narumi enters and begins the class discussion…

**---------------------------------------**

**Alice Academy Grounds, Lunch Break..**

Currently, Mikan, Natsume, Yuu, Ruka and Hotaru were sitting under a sakura tree and discussing Hotaru's question. They weren't going anywhere, until…

"A dog." Natsume silently says.

Everyone turns to look at him, and he tugs one of Mikan's pigtails and answers,

"Dog ears."

There was silence for a moment, then…

"Hey! Those are not dog ears!" Mikan angrily retorts.

Ruka, Hotaru and Yuu laugh and agree with Natsume, and begin teasing Mikan, doggy-chan.

"Naaatttssuummmeee!" Mikan screams and begins attacking Natsume.

"Well, what do you know.. Dogs and Cats really don't get along." Ruka slyly remarks with a smirk.

He looks over at Hotaru, and she smirks in return.

_Phase two complete._

**---------------------------------------**

Under the sakura tree, after everyone else left, two 16-year old teenagers could be seen sitting under the shade.

Ruka was sitting down, leaning on the tree, with legs spread apart, while Hotaru was sitting between his legs, leaning on him. It was a sweet, yet unusual sight, and anyone who saw them like this wouldn't believe the sight. Well, everyone except their best friends, that is. Ever since they got together, Ruka became even more sweeter, and Hotaru began to show her feminine, gentle side.

Just then, Ruka decided to hug Hotaru from behind. "Hey Hotaru…"

Surprisingly, Hotaru didn't shoot him with her baka gun. Instead, she smiled, closed her eyes, leaned on him more, and settled into his embrace. She never could hurt Ruka; only blackmail him. These days though, she knew she didn't have to. It was funny, though, to remember how they got together.

_**-Flashback-**_

_It was a day like any other, with the exception that today was Hotaru's 15th birthday._

"_Hotaru! Give me those pictures!" _

_And as usual, Hotaru could be seen on her trusty duck scooter, being chased by Ruka, riding some animal of some sort, while constantly yelling at her to get his embarrassing, not to mention, blackmail, pictures back. _

_Hotaru almost got away, when suddenly, the great yellow chick of the northern forest blocked her path._

"_Aaaah!" Hotaru surprisingly screamed, as she was falling from the sky, her scooter having flown out of sight._

"_Hotaru!" Ruka suddenly came from the bushes, riding a rhinoceros no less, and came just in time to catch Hotaru from the sky._

"_R-ru-ka.." A strongly shaken Hotaru gasped out before holding Ruka tighter in an embrace. _

"_H-hotaru.." A madly blushing Ruka, who was being hugged by his favorite girl, managed to blurt out, before wrapping his arms around her as well. _

_There was silence until Hotaru finally realized what she was doing and quickly pulled back, her cheeks as red as tomatoes._

"_S-sorry, Ruka.. And.. Thanks.." She said while looking down, the blush still widely evident on her cheeks._

"_Don't mention it.. I'll gladly do that again any other time…" Ruka quietly answered, before gently clasping Hotaru's hand and leading her to sit down under the shade of a sakura tree._

_It was silent again as the two sat down and looked away from each other, still blushing incredibly, as their hands were still joined together._

_Ruka took a deep breath, looked at Hotaru and asked, "Why do you keep on blackmailing me?"_

_Hotaru quickly fixed her gaze on Ruka, seemingly taken aback by Ruka's sudden question._

"_Um.. Ruka.. Do you.. Hate me? Because I keep on blackmailing you?"_

_Surprisingly, Ruka gave a gentle smile and thought, 'I think it's time I finally tell her..'_

"_No, I don't hate you at all.. To be honest, I don't mind you blackmailing me, because it gives me an excuse to spend more time with you…"_

_By now, Ruka was gazing lovingly at Hotaru, while Hotaru just looked at him wide-eyed, and with an even greater blush on her cheeks. _

_Ruka decided to continue. "You know what? Im glad you like blackmailing me.. It gives me many chances to see you.. To see your smile.."_

_He grasped Hotaru's hand more firmly, took a deep breath, and said,_

"_And you know.. I love everything about you.. The way your eyes light up when you smile.. The way your eyes twinkle every time you blackmail me.. You're.. different from all the girls I've ever met.. You're.. Genuine.. You're not clingy or obnoxious, and you don't pretend to be something you're not.. You don't scream and chase after me, instead, you have me chase after you.. You care so much about your friends, and you don't hesitate to show it, in your own, rather painful way.."_

_Ruka laughed softly at this and continued.. _

"_I guess what I'm really trying to say is… I love you, Hotaru.. Nothing can ever change that.."_

_Ruka's confession was met with silence, until.._

_Hotaru suddenly smiled and said,_

"_Do you want to know why I like blackmailing you? You said so yourself, I have my own, rather painful way of doing things…"_

_It was Ruka's turn to stare speechlessly at Hotaru._

_She continued, "You know, Ruka, that's what I like in you, you can be so knowledgeable one minute, then so adorably dense the next.. Did it ever cross your mind that I may just be blackmailing you in order to get you to notice me? Its just that.. Come on, how could someone like you ever notice me? You're so kind, so sweet, so caring, while Im so cold, so cruel, so unemotional.. Can't you see? You're everything Im not, so how could you possibly like me? So I decided, I would get your attention, one way or another. I told myself that even if you'll never feel the same about me, getting to spend some time with you, no matter how little, is enough.. And it turns out that blackmail is the most effective method.."_

_She took a deep breath, and said, "So you see, Ruka.. Blackmailing is.. Just my own way of showing you that I care about you.."_

_She smiled, moved closer to Ruka, and gave him a little peck on the lips. _

"_Blackmailing is.. My personal way of showing that.. I love you too.." _

_Both of them were smiling now, and as Ruka pulled Hotaru closer to him to give her a hug, he gently whispered,_

"_Happy Birthday, Hotaru.."_

_**-End Flashback-**_

"Yeah…?" Hotaru opened her eyes and looked up at Ruka.

"Im glad we can be like this.." Ruka gently whispered.

"Yeah.. Me too.." Hotaru answered with a wistful smile, then added,

"I love you, Ruka.."

Ruka smiled at this and buried his face in her hair.

"I love you too, Hotaru…"

They just enjoyed being with each other for a few moments, then Hotaru spoke,

"Ruka? What do we do about Natsume?"

Ruka gazed at the sky and said,

"You did what you could, leave the rest to me.."

"Okay.. I wish them happiness.." Hotaru softly replied.

"Yeah.. Me too.."

And with that, the two of them just sat in comfortable silence, Ruka holding Hotaru close to him, watching the clouds go by…

**---------------------------------------**

**Somewhere in Central Town, sometime late afternoon..**

"Hey Ruka," Mikan worriedly asked.

"Where's Hotaru?"

Ruka and Mikan were presently strolling around central park, with the absence of Hotaru, not to mention Natsume.

Ruka gently smiled and answered, "Oh she decided to stay and finish something in her lab as usual."

He then gazed silently at the vast blue sky, as if remembering some sweet distant memory.

"Oh…" Mikan answered somewhat down.

"Aren't you going to ask where Natsume is?" Ruka asked out of nowhere, with a knowing smirk.

"H-huh? Why should I care where that annoying pervert is?" Mikan defiantly answered back, the color rising in her cheeks.

"I don't know… Oh come on, Mikan.. We all know you like him.." Ruka answered back.

"H-huh! I.. I do not! I do _NOT_ like Natsume at all!" Mikan shot back.

A voice in her head corrected her. _"Yeah, I don't like Natsume, I love him.."_

She blushed considerably at this, but then added in a quiet voice, "Besides, he hates me.."

Unfortunately for her, Ruka heard this.

"_Oh Natsume.. Look what you've done.." _He thought.

"Mikan, you should know Natsume by know.. He doesn't hate you, he's just really like that…" Ruka said in a comforting voice.

"Ruka.. I.. I don't know.. I really like him, Ruka.. I really do.." Tears started pouring down her cheeks.

"I _love _him, Ruka.. But it seems like.. He doesn't care at all.." Mikan was now crying helplessly, and she leaned on Ruka for support.

Ruka just let her cry out her hurt and pain.. Then, he whispered to her,

"Oh Mikan.. If you truly feel that way.. Tell him.. Tell Natsume.. It may be the one thing he needs the most.."

**---------------------------------------**

**Somewhere atop a tree, gazing at the starlit sky…**

Natsume was sitting on a tree branch, thinking about the days events..

_**-Flashback-**_

"_Hey Natsume…" Ruka innocently looks at Natsume._

"_Yeah?" Natsume looked up from his manga and glances lazily at his best friend._

_Ruka gently pats his pet rabbit. "How do you feel about dogs?"_

_Natsume raises an eyebrow and shrugs. "Don't really know. Don't care."_

_Ruka sighs exasperatedly and glances elsewhere. _

"_Guess cats really don't like dogs…"_

_With that, Natsume looked suspiciously at Ruka, but then shrugged the feeling off and went back to reading his manga._

_--------------------_

"_A dog." Natsume silently says._

_Everyone turns to look at him, and he tugs one of Mikan's pigtails and answers,_

"_Dog ears."_

_There was silence for a moment, then…_

"_Hey! Those are not dog ears!" Mikan angrily retorts._

_Ruka, Hotaru and Yuu laugh and agree with Natsume, and begin teasing Mikan, doggy-chan._

"_Naaatttssuummmeee!" Mikan screams and begins attacking Natsume. _

"_Well, what do you know.. Dogs and Cats really don't get along." Ruka slyly remarks with a smirk._

_**-End Flashback-**_

"_Why did that enter my mind?" _Natsume thought to himself.

"_Mikan… A dog, huh?" _Natsume sighed and glanced at the girls dormitories.

"_Why do you make me feel this way…?" _He then closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

The truth is, ever since he met Mikan 6 years ago, he felt a strong attraction towards the cheerful, outgoing, optimistic girl. Sure, she may be dense sometimes, but to Natsume, that just made her even more cuter. They were complete opposites, she, with her light, easy-going attitude, and him, with his dark, stoic manner. She had a pure heart, determined and willing to always help others in need, without even considering her own position. She genuinely cared for others, and her concern for him was always there, _she_ was always there, no matter how mean he was to her or how much he teased her. She was always happy... Always smiling… And he had this unexplainable desire to protect that happiness, that smile.. It was the only thing that keeps him from going over the edge…

Natsume opened his eyes and sighed once again..

"_I love her…"_

This time, he lowered his head and looked down, his bangs covering his eyes..

"_But.. I can never tell her.. She should never see the darkness in me.. I don't want to hurt her, or put her in any danger.. I don't deserve her.."_

And at that time, it started to rain…

"_How ironic.. For someone who has the alice of fire, I have a heart of ice…"_

A wind started to blow..

"_I have so much warmth to offer.. Yet I always have to be so cold to others.. To her.."_

'Meow…' At that moment, a black cat crossed his sight. It was cold, and dripping wet.

"_A black cat.. Im a black cat.. Just like that cat.. Cold.. Alone.. Compared to her.. She's the light.. She's.. **My** light…"_

Suddenly, an auburn-colored dog came near and started licking the cat. The cat gave a low growl and started screeching, yet still, the dog stayed by its side and kept it warm from the cold winds and the rain.

Natsume stared wide-eyed at the sight. _"Mikan.." _he thought.

"_Now I know why she seems like a dog… A dog.. is always loyal to its master.. is a trusted friend.. A dog is cheerful, playful and fun to be with.. A dog is thoughtful and genuine.. And its always there.. Always wagging its tail happily, and barking cheerfully whenever it sees its master.. A dog is loved by all, and yet it shuns no one.. Not even its worst enemy.."_

_**-Flashback-**_

_The door swings open, and two boys step in._

"_Good Morning Ruka! Good Morning Natsume!" _

_Yet another part of Mikan's routine._

"_Good Morning Mikan!" Ruka answers with a grin._

_--------------------_

"_You're too loud, strawberry-print girl." _

_Mikan just puts her tongue out at him, and sits down beside Hotaru, only to be pushed away again._

_Natsume just ignores her and goes to the back of the classroom, sits down, puts his feet on top of the table, and reads his latest shounen manga._

_**-End Flashback-**_

Natsume tore his eyes away and gave a pained, desperate laugh..

"_It is truly ironic.. It hurts.. But.. Dogs and Cats can never be.. **We** are never meant to be…"_

A sudden rustle of leaves brought Natsume back to his senses.

"Natsume…? Is that you?"

Natsume stared speechlessly at the girl looking around for him. _"Mikan…" _

"Natsume…?" Mikan looked around her surroundings and shivered from the cold.

Natsume noticed this and quietly went down from the tree.

"What are you doing here, little girl?"

Mikan was startled, and she gave a small cry. "Natsume! There you are… What are you doing here? It's late, and it's raining.. You'll get sick.."

There she was, wet and cold, yet still she was worried about him. Natsume couldn't help it any longer.

"It's none of your business, little girl, now go back to your room and sleep."

Even as he said this, how he longed to hug her tight, to hold her in his arms and feel her warmth..

But it seemed like Mikan's attention was somewhere else.

"Oh look… How cute.. That dog is keeping that cat warm from the cold."

She was smiling, and suddenly, Natsume couldn't control himself anymore.

In a quick rush of movement, Natsume pulled Mikan to him and held her tight.

"_Yes.. She's right.. It's not the cat who protects the dog… It's in fact the dog who keeps the cat safe.. and warm…"_

"N-natsume?" Mikan couldn't believe it. One minute she was talking to Natsume, the next, he was hugging her tight.

So there they were, getting soaked by the rain. But not an ounce cold.

After a while, Natsume started to speak.

"That cat.. Is afraid.. But he acts tough to hide it. He hides the fact that he needs that dog, so much.. So much than anything else.. He is always alone.. And many fear to come near him, for they are afraid of him… And yet.. That dog.. Still.. It came near him and stood beside him.. No matter how much the cat growled or scratched at him.. Even if that cat treated him as an enemy, still that dog stayed.. And gave him warmth.. Gave him company.. And no matter how much that cat tries to hide it.. Because he wants to protect that dog.. He can't help it anymore.. He can't hide the fact that he needs the dog so much, that he cares for it so much.. And that, in fact, it's the one who's protecting him.. He tries to act strong, to hide his weaknesses.. But he can't pretend anymore.. He doesn't want the dog to see the darkness in him.. He's afraid to admit that he searches for that dog's light always.. That dog is the only thing keeping him from succumbing to his darkness.. He.. He can't do this anymore… "

Mikan stood still, wide-eyed at what Natsume said. But then she realized, he wasn't talking about the cat anymore.. He was talking about.. himself..

Natsume hugged her even tighter and softly whispered..

"I love you, Mikan… I love you so much.."

Mikan's heart just overflowed, and tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"Natsume… That dog.. will always be here.. **_I_** will always be here.. For you.. You don't need to pretend or hide anymore.. Im here.. I'll always be here.. You don't need to be afraid anymore.. I want to protect you, Natsume.. You don't have to worry.. You're not alone anymore.. I'll stay with you.. I'll keep you warm.. I'll keep you safe from everything that wants to harm you.. You can smile now.. You can be yourself.. Natsume, you don't have to suffer anymore.."

Mikan then pulled away from Natsume a bit and looked into his deep ruby eyes..

"_He's crying too.." _she thought. She wiped his tears, smiled, and gently said,

"I love you too, Natsume.. More than you'll ever know.."

The rain suddenly started to fade away at that moment.

Natsume looked at Mikan with so much love in his eyes, and gently pulled her closer and kissed her.

Mikan just closed her eyes and accepted the kiss all she could.

They broke the kiss a few moments later and smiled heartwarmingly at each other.

"You look so cute when you smile, Natsume.." Mikan said, a tint of pink visible on her cheeks.

Natsume just smiled at her and sincerely said,

"You have no idea how grateful I am to have you.."

They spent a few moments just holding each other and enjoying the warmth it brought.

Suddenly, they noticed the black cat and the auburn dog walking off together, side by side.

"Kinda reminds you of us, right?" Mikan said while gently brushing away some of the wet bangs sticking to Natsume's forehead.

"Yeah.." Natsume answered, smiling back.

They then started to walk back together, hand-in-hand.

"You know, Mikan, Ruka was wrong. Cats _can_ get along with dogs."

--------------------------------

Unbeknownst to them, a blond haired boy on top of a tree branch, smiled and whispered to a small microphone attached to panda-shaped earmuffs.

"Phase Three Successful. Operation Dogs and Cats couldn't have ended any better, Hotaru."

And Hotaru, seated on a chair on her balcony, sighed with relief and replied while patting the black cat on her lap, and the auburn dog beside her.

"_Excellent work, Ruka. I wouldn't have things any other way_."

_**-------------------The-End-------------------**_

**Date completed: May 18, 2006 12:38 AM **

**Author's Note: **

This is my first Gakuen Alice fanfiction. I was looking at my black stuffed toy dog (somewhat like a cute Doberman puppy) while I wrote this story. I had named him Natsume cause he kinda looks like him. Anyway, while looking at him, I thought that it was ironic cause Natsume's a cat, while my stuffed toy's a dog. Then I kinda had this idea that Mikan's pigtails looked kinda like dog's ears.. And, well, you know the rest. Uh… I worked really hard on this, and I hope you like it. Please Review! Thanks!

_**Love, kiuna'yukina**_

**Date revised: May 18, 2006 1:38 PM **

I added the scenes between Ruka and Hotaru, Natsume's second flashback, and the scene in Central Town with Ruka and Mikan.. Just thought it would clear up things a bit. Besides, its cute. ,


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